12/28/2012

What I'm Into (December Edition)

How is it time for 2013 already? December flew by amidst Christmas parties and get togethers and family celebrations and shows. Love. It.

Read and Reading:

I have so many thoughts about Overdressed (Cline). I bring it up in most conversations these days. Post to follow.

I received a free copy of Submerged (Pettrey) while at Allume. Way better than your average Christian fiction, I could barely put this story down. While the love connections are fairly obvious, the plot made me want to learn more about Alaska, scuba diving, and Russian history. And so I shall.

How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp (Smucker) features gorgeous prose and a call to adventure and a guide on navigating the unexpected. I loved the way Shawn and Maile shared their family's 4 month RV trip across the US. I highly, highly recommend you read it.

Readers may be split when it comes to Gone Girl but I loved it. Even the ending. The story centers on a marriage gone wrong, as the wife disappears the day of their 5th anniversary. A psychological thriller, I diagnosed characters as I read. The author forces
you to view True Crime from a whole other angle. She did a great job
depicting personality disorders and I LOVE how she didn't take the
expected route. Fascinating
read.

I read Girl Meets God (Winner) a year or so after it came out. I don't remember it, other than being less than impressed. I'm now questioning my intellect because this second time around? WOW. Beautifully written memoir of Winner's conversion from Judaism to Christianity. Great insights about faith from both perspectives.

(I read 10 books this month.) (Oh, and 101 books this year and counting.)

TV: Must-see TV: Once Upon a Time,
Revenge, Parenthood, Vampire Diaries, The New Girl,
The Mindy Project, Parks & Rec

I had to put Parenthood on a time out. I haven't been able to watch the last few episodes because the Kristina storyline hits too close to home but also because the Bravermans have been driving me nuts what with their boundary and codependency issues.

Did the midseason finale of Once Upon a Time not kill you? I was so surprised they wrapped up one of the main storylines as quickly as they did but I am thrilled to see where they're going with good ol' sexy Captain Hook.

The Swap Shop in Glen Ellyn, IL has been my favorite Christmas discovery. It's a high-end consignment shop. Not necessarily cheap but still a great deal compared to how much designer clothing normally costs. Hello, Tory Burch tunic, DVF wrap cardigan, and Juicy Couture sweater!

New Business:

I am so proud of my friend Abby. She recently launched Abby Leigh Creative, which focuses on branding, consulting, and general wordsmithery. Abby wrote my About and New Here pages, which absolutely blew me away. I wanted to be friends with myself by the time she was through. Please go check her out!

Speaking of Preston, he and Dianna Anderson started When In Comment Sections. Prepare to spend the next hour or so laughing.

In the Blogosphere:

Christianity Today has a series called This Is Our City, which highlights the way Christians contribute to their cities. I've read a few of the essays and really enjoyed the glimpses they provided into other parts of the country. Take a gander and see if your city is featured.

Going to Hell with Ted Haggard was one of the best things I read this month. I
don't entirely remember how I responded to the Haggard scandal but I do
remember being upset by the hypocrisy that has hurt so many. To see him thriving in ministry to the outcasts is such a redemptive note.
This made me examine how I respond to the Christian leaders I don't like.

A call to listen, whether you agree with the person or not. Great piece from Ally Vesterfelt.

This profile of Madeleine L'Engle in the New Yorker broke my heart a bit over her need to fictionalize some aspects of her
real life. I know the line
is blurry- I believe it's true of most writers and it's certainly true
of me. But to write something autobiographical and be unable to tell the truth, I'm sad for her.

Over on the FB page, we talked about how many books I've read this year and I facetiously mentioned my Jesus Year is coming up. I'm afraid some people took me seriously. You guys. I'm just turning 33. NBD.

Comments

How is it time for 2013 already? December flew by amidst Christmas parties and get togethers and family celebrations and shows. Love. It.

Read and Reading:

I have so many thoughts about Overdressed (Cline). I bring it up in most conversations these days. Post to follow.

I received a free copy of Submerged (Pettrey) while at Allume. Way better than your average Christian fiction, I could barely put this story down. While the love connections are fairly obvious, the plot made me want to learn more about Alaska, scuba diving, and Russian history. And so I shall.

How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp (Smucker) features gorgeous prose and a call to adventure and a guide on navigating the unexpected. I loved the way Shawn and Maile shared their family's 4 month RV trip across the US. I highly, highly recommend you read it.

Readers may be split when it comes to Gone Girl but I loved it. Even the ending. The story centers on a marriage gone wrong, as the wife disappears the day of their 5th anniversary. A psychological thriller, I diagnosed characters as I read. The author forces
you to view True Crime from a whole other angle. She did a great job
depicting personality disorders and I LOVE how she didn't take the
expected route. Fascinating
read.

I read Girl Meets God (Winner) a year or so after it came out. I don't remember it, other than being less than impressed. I'm now questioning my intellect because this second time around? WOW. Beautifully written memoir of Winner's conversion from Judaism to Christianity. Great insights about faith from both perspectives.

(I read 10 books this month.) (Oh, and 101 books this year and counting.)

TV: Must-see TV: Once Upon a Time,
Revenge, Parenthood, Vampire Diaries, The New Girl,
The Mindy Project, Parks & Rec

I had to put Parenthood on a time out. I haven't been able to watch the last few episodes because the Kristina storyline hits too close to home but also because the Bravermans have been driving me nuts what with their boundary and codependency issues.

Did the midseason finale of Once Upon a Time not kill you? I was so surprised they wrapped up one of the main storylines as quickly as they did but I am thrilled to see where they're going with good ol' sexy Captain Hook.

The Swap Shop in Glen Ellyn, IL has been my favorite Christmas discovery. It's a high-end consignment shop. Not necessarily cheap but still a great deal compared to how much designer clothing normally costs. Hello, Tory Burch tunic, DVF wrap cardigan, and Juicy Couture sweater!

New Business:

I am so proud of my friend Abby. She recently launched Abby Leigh Creative, which focuses on branding, consulting, and general wordsmithery. Abby wrote my About and New Here pages, which absolutely blew me away. I wanted to be friends with myself by the time she was through. Please go check her out!

Speaking of Preston, he and Dianna Anderson started When In Comment Sections. Prepare to spend the next hour or so laughing.

In the Blogosphere:

Christianity Today has a series called This Is Our City, which highlights the way Christians contribute to their cities. I've read a few of the essays and really enjoyed the glimpses they provided into other parts of the country. Take a gander and see if your city is featured.

Going to Hell with Ted Haggard was one of the best things I read this month. I
don't entirely remember how I responded to the Haggard scandal but I do
remember being upset by the hypocrisy that has hurt so many. To see him thriving in ministry to the outcasts is such a redemptive note.
This made me examine how I respond to the Christian leaders I don't like.

A call to listen, whether you agree with the person or not. Great piece from Ally Vesterfelt.

This profile of Madeleine L'Engle in the New Yorker broke my heart a bit over her need to fictionalize some aspects of her
real life. I know the line
is blurry- I believe it's true of most writers and it's certainly true
of me. But to write something autobiographical and be unable to tell the truth, I'm sad for her.

Over on the FB page, we talked about how many books I've read this year and I facetiously mentioned my Jesus Year is coming up. I'm afraid some people took me seriously. You guys. I'm just turning 33. NBD.

Disclosure

This blog contains sidebar advertising and some contextual affiliate links. If you click through an affiliate link and purchase an item I have featured, I may receive a commission on the sale. You would never pay more for for the product- the commission comes from the regular retail price. I only feature products I genuinely like or, let's face it, love. I'm all about hyperbole. If a post or giveaway is sponsored, it is noted in the actual post. I don't blog about everything I receive, but when I do my thoughts and opinions are always my own.